I'm happy to report that 2016 was a great year for Buddy-to-Buddy due in part to an exceptionally strong finish! We will share a more in-depth review of the program's performance in 2016 with you soon, but here are some highlights:

862 service members and veterans assisted

453 community and drill visits attended

44,236 volunteer and staff miles traveled

$150,000 raised through crowdfunding campaign

We are so pleased and excited about how the program continues to grow and get stronger each year. Thanks to all of you for making this progress possible and allowing Buddy-to-Buddy to continue to reach and serve so many service members and veterans.

2017 has already gotten off to a promising start. We are looking forward to the Big House 5K in April (see below for more details), and the 2017 Volunteer Recognition event, for which you will receive a Save-the-Date email soon.

As always, never hesitate to reach out to any of us. We are here for you!

Stephanie ZarbProgram Manager

Volunteer Veteran of the Month

Adam Obanjoko was our Volunteer of the Month for December! He trained into the program nearly a year ago, and since then he’s been a reliable, enthusiastic, and supportive volunteer and advocate for the program. Not only does Adam consistently log all of his interactions with service members and veterans that he has through the program, he is always willing to go above and beyond when called upon to help someone who needs it. Read more about Adam...

Phone Bank Infographic

Volunteers and staff spent many hours in December January completing follow up with veterans who called during the Phone Bank at WDIV Local 4 News on December 7. Thank you to all who triaged calls and helped with follow-up—it was a big team effort!

Thank you for taking the time to submit your logs and using the website to communicate with us. These submissions are key in helping us continue to serve Michigan’s veterans.

Training Anniversaries This Month

The following volunteers are celebrating their training anniversaries with the program this month:

Seven YearsEric Jackson(Eric is also our longest continuously serving volunteer. Thank you Eric, we are very grateful!)

Six YearsBrad BlanchardMike PariseStoney Summey

Five YearsMichael Mayse

Four YearsDionne IsadoreRon Springer

Two YearsMike BachandThank you for your years of service!

Big House 5K

We are excited to have been selected as one of six beneficiaries of the Big House 5K: Trail to the Victors, presented by Toyota. This race will take place on Sunday, April 9, 2017 on the UM Academic and Athletics campuses. Buddy-to-Buddy will receive a portion of the proceeds from each registration!

If you would like to help us promote our participation in this event, you can share the picture above on social media. Connect with one of our staff members so that we may send you more information to help spread the word.

If you would like to represent Buddy-to-Buddy by volunteering at a B2B info table at the event, email Outreach Coordinator Valeria Shipp at vshipp@umich.edu or call her at (734) 998-5827.

Click here to view a calendar of events that either our Outreach Coordinator, Valeria Shipp, or various Volunteer Veterans will be attending on behalf of Buddy-to-Buddy. This calendar gets updated on a regular basis and we encourage you to refer to it frequently.

If there are any events throughout the state that you think might be good for Buddy-to-Buddy to have a table at, please contact Valeria Shipp at vshipp@med.umich.edu or (734) 249-0380.

Buddy-to-Buddy is part of Military Support Programs and Networks (M-SPAN), a portfolio of military mental health programs within the University of Michigan Depression Center.